Giving Compass' Take:

• The authors at Education Dive discuss the importance of pairing professional mentors with students to connect the classroom to job experiences. 

• According to this article, "when graduate students are paired with professionals in their fields, they exhibit deeper learning and passion for the work." How can funders best support the use of mentors?

• Here's why we all need mentors and how to make it happen. 

Facing concerns about the value of the education they provide, colleges have been looking for new ways to link students' experiences more closely to their future jobs. Several are implementing immersive learning experiences, such as co-ops and opportunities to earn industry-recognized certificates en route to a full degree.

They're also looking to employers for help identifying what knowledge and abilities are required of graduates in their respective fields. In turn, those companies are seeking creative ways to address what they say is a critical lack of key job skills internally and among new hires as technology changes the requirements of many roles.

As the U of Houston research describes, some companies are focused on students, aiming to inspire and engage them before they enter the workforce.

Frito-Lay is banking on apprenticeships to demonstrate the benefits of jobs in manufacturing, for example. John Deere has backed a STEM computer science academy in Iowa to prepare high schoolers for computer science careers. Others are working to drum up interest from even younger students.

"By taking the students outside the classroom, they saw the relevance and meaningfulness of what they were learning," Waight said in a statement. "That motivated them beyond case studies."

Read the full article about using professional mentors in schools by Kate Tornone and Hallie Busta at Education Dive.